Monday, January 10, 2011

Snow, snow, and more snow...in Huntsville?

Christmas is always a special time of year, but this one went past special and headed right toward magical!

This was our first Christmas with Erin, our new daughter-in-law, so there was naturally some small amount of anxiousness about how our family traditions would mesh with her family's. It's the same rite of passage that every family has to go through when their children get married, but for both us and the Perrys is was our first time to tread those waters.

Well needn't have worried, of course, because Erin jumped right in as if she'd always been part of our traditions. As it happens, her family normally does their big family dinner and gathering on Christmas Day, and we have always done ours on Christmas Eve so there was no conflict at all. Erin even offered to sit with the boys on the steps for our traditional photo before we allow the boys to come into the family room to see what Santa has brought! What a trooper :-)

As the presents were being opened someone looked outside and noticed that it was snowing! We've lived in Huntsville for over 15 years now and, while it has snowed a few times over the years, it had never happened on Christmas Day! We ended up getting about 3 inches and had a great time watching the dogs play in it and taking pictures of the spectacle. Dave dutifully shoveled off the back deck and the sidewalk leading to the garage. He had to use a small shovel that made the task take twice as long, but then who has a snow shovel in Alabama?

When the presents were all opened, the cinnamon roles eaten, and the newlywed couple packed off to the Perry's for their next round of celebrations, we counted ourselves blessed for such a memorable Christmas.

Who knew that the snow would return again in just a couple weeks!

On January 10th it did, and with a vengeance! It snowed, and snowed, and snowed. And since Jan 10th was a Monday, there was the hope (soon realized) that school would even be cancelled! That had happened before in Huntsville for far less snow (once even for a forecast of snow that turned out to be incorrect - blush!), but this time it was legitimate! By the time it was over we had 8 inches piled up on the back deck! Before long even businesses were closing down, including Dave's job. Huntsville is just unprepared for that much snow and it took days for the city to clear the streets enough to make it possible to get to either work or school.

Thus freed from the cares of normal everyday life :-) we took full advantage of the situation. We made a snowman, did our best to sled in the wet, sticky snow, romped with the dogs, and generally reverted to childhood for a few days. It was a winter wonderland of fun!

After it was over, over the next couple of weeks, there were numerous forecasts of more possible snow to come. Both at work and in the schools, folks started to get concerned about all the days off and how they would have to be made up at some point. Somehow, the magic was quickly giving way to dread each morning as we watched the forecast.